Milestones

Got her undergraduate degree in fashion and apparel design—interned in New York City with Liz Claiborne and later became an assistant buyer for the Ralph Lauren and Ann Taylor retail stores.

Tired of the harsh New York winters, she moved back to the South where she worked in marketing for an insurance firm, and then later in magazine design.

After her marriage, she moved to rural Meriwether County, Georgia, where she struggled to figure out her next career move due to how isolated the area is.

Has always had a passion for helping people with physical and mental disabilities, and decided that she wanted to pursue a career as a special education teacher.

Participated in the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy, which helps people with degrees in subjects other than education get a jobs as teachers and receive on-the-job training.

After having her first child, she became a stay-at-home mom, but quickly realized that wasn’t the right move for her, so she began working on her first master’s degree in educational leadership.

She was encouraged by one of her coworkers in Meriwether County to pursue an additional master’s degree in school psychology, and has been working in that field ever since.

Says her favorite part of her job is working with students—who are struggling with various learning issues—figure out how to make school work for them so they can excel.

Keep following my journey

Education

High School

BachelorFashion/Apparel DesignAuburn University

GraduateEducational Leadership and Administration, GeneralGeorgia State University

GraduateSchool PsychologyGeorgia State University

Career

School Psychologist

I am a school psychologist helping students learn and teachers teach.

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Education

Science

Learning / Being Challenged

Day to Day

It changes every single day. A big part of my job is the assessment of students. Students who have special needs have to have a full psychological evaluation before they are eligible for special education classes. I administer those tests and determine whether they need to be tested again. I also do a lot of consultations with teachers and parents to ensure that we are meeting all the needs of the students.

Skills & Qualities Beyond School

Empathy is really important. You also have to be a good people person and be abe to evaluate people.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for college students

Get internships in the field you are interested in.

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

"I'm 30 years old, I can't go back to graduate school now."

I was encouraged by a coworker to go back to school to advance my career, but at the time I was juggling being a new mom and didn't think I could balance school. I eventually realized that I was capable of balancing it all, so I did.

Challenges I Overcame

Living In A Rural Area

Living In A Rural Area

Once I got married, I moved to a rural county in Georgia. The isolated nature of the area meant there were limited opportunities. I had to dig deep to figure out what was available to me and use that to my advantage.

Divorce

Divorce

Balancing work, family, and social life began to take its toll on my marriage so my husband and I decided to get divorced.